Boxall Drafted by Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Jan 18, 2011

Jan. 18, 2011

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -
UC Santa Barbara's Michael Boxall was the No. 1 pick in the First Round of the Major League Soccer Supplemental Draft on Tuesday. Vancouver Whitecaps FC selected the defender, who is a native of Auckland, New Zealand.

Boxall capped a fantastic four-year career at UCSB with Third Team All-American honors and was selected as the Big West's Defensive Player of the Year following the 2010 season. This past season, he helped UCSB limit its opposition to 17 goals - a 0.77 goals per game average - and helped the Gauchos post 10 shutouts.

The two-time All-Big West First Team pick has also represented New Zealand on the U-20 and U-23 senior international levels. Boxall earned two senior caps with New Zealand during the 2006 Agribank Cup in Vietnam and started two matches during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also made three starts for the All Whites during the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada.

Boxall is the second Gaucho to be drafted this year. Michael Tetteh was selected in the Second Round and No. 20 overall by the Seattle Sounders in the MLS SuperDraft on Thursday.

Boxall is the 20th UCSB player to be drafted by the MLS in the past nine years and the eighth to go in the Supplemental Draft. UCSB currently has five former players active in the MLS: Chris Pontius (D.C. United), Andy Iro (Columbus Crew), Eric Avila (FC Dallas), Kyle Reynish (Real Salt Lake) and Dan Kennedy (Chivas USA). Both Reynish and Kennedy were drafted in the supplemental rounds.